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

Word bank: cue · wound · bear · snap · chest · jam · mark · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chest — a box
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chest — of your body
  7. snap — to click
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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