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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. season — of the year
  5. kick — in football
  6. object — to protest
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. face — to confront
  10. season — in sport
  11. object — an aim
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — part of the head
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. season — to add flavour

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