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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · bay · can · tear · nail · season · jam · file

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. can — to be able to
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. season — of the year
  17. bat — the animal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. tear — to rip
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — in sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. nail — for a hammer

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