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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: fine · stick · cold · nail · jam · mate · tube · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cold — an illness
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fine — all right
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tube — a container
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cold — the Cold War

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