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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lie — to recline
  3. band — a music group
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. band — a ring
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. firm — steady
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. firm — a company
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — decided
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tube — a container
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. patient — a sick person

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