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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — a path
  6. spell — letters
  7. face — to confront
  8. wind — moving air
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — part of the head
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spell — a short time
  17. track — a song
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spell — magic
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. craft — a skill

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