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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: object · snap · spell · arm · stick · jam · cold · racket

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — a short time
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. spell — magic
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cold — not warm
  17. object — to protest
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. spell — letters
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. object — an aim

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