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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. season — in sport
  4. suit — clothes
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. suit — to fit
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. clip — to cut
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. season — of the year
  19. craft — boats
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stem — to come from
  22. clip — a video
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. suit — in cards

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