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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — obliged
  4. suit — to fit
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. shower — rain
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — a list
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bass — low music
  14. bound — certain
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bound — tied together
  17. suit — in cards
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. staff — employees
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. staff — a stick

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