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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rash — a series
  3. spell — letters
  4. kid — child
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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