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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — to protest
  17. hand — help
  18. object — an aim
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hand — in cards

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