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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. craft — a skill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wound — an injury
  16. roll — a list
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. can — a tin
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com