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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. last — final
  3. sharp — clever
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. current — happening now
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mate — a partner
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a friend
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wave — of the sea

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