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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 · wind · can · rest · mark · chip · nail · bear

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. can — to be able to
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rest — a break
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — a tin
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — to eat
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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