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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. roll — a cake
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a line of people
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. swing — music
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. object — a thing
  16. file — a document
  17. rash — hasty
  18. swing — in golf
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. object — to protest
  21. file — a tool
  22. roll — a list
  23. object — an aim
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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