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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · sharp · jam · present · tube · pound · saw · lie

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lie — to recline
  6. present — there
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. tube — the underground
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. rest — a break
  13. tube — a container
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. sharp — clever
  23. saw — the tool
  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