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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rule — a law
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rule — government
  8. lean — to bend
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. swing — to play on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. drill — a practice
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. craft — boats
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. swing — in golf

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