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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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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: jam · leaves · kick · wake · mark · cold · nail · bay

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wake — a trail
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kick — in football
  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