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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. swing — music
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rock — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bank — of a river
  17. swing — to play on
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. swing — in golf
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. shower — rain
  24. rock — a stone

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