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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. roll — a cake
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — help
  5. pop — music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. roll — a list
  14. pop — soda
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bound — certain
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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