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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. row — to paddle
  18. tube — a container
  19. rule — government
  20. row — a line
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rule — a law
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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