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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: date · object · staff · hide · wound · saw · field · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. staff — a stick
  7. object — to protest
  8. field — for sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. date — the fruit
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. object — an aim
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — farmland
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. field — a subject
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — to keep secret

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