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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. tear — to rip
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chair — a leader
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tear — from crying
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. sharp — clever
  24. net — for catching

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