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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
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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: firm · chest · jam · wound · wake · suit · foot · march

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. foot — a measure
  6. suit — clothes
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. firm — decided
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wake — a trail
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. chest — of your body
  14. firm — steady
  15. chest — of your body
  16. firm — a company
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chest — a box
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — before a funeral

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