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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: jam · craft · hand · roll · mouse · leaves · kid · race

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. craft — a skill
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kid — to tease
  9. roll — a cake
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. hand — in cards
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. craft — boats
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. race — a contest
  20. roll — a list
  21. kid — child
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. hand — help
  24. mouse — the animal

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