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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · last · pop · bore · jam · stick · dip · wind

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pop — music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. last — final
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. last — to go on
  11. bore — to tire
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. last — finally
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pop — to visit
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — soda
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. can — a tin

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