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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: roll · jam · saw · tear · wake · suit · pit · chair

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tear — to rip
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pit — a hole
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chair — a leader
  12. roll — a list
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. roll — a cake
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pit — in a race
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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