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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rock — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. season — in sport
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — to come down
  14. staff — employees
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — of the year
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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