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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lean — to bend
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. dip — to sink
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. drill — army training
  17. present — a gift
  18. scale — in music
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. jam — a tight spot

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