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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. spring — the season
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spring — of water
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spell — magic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. last — to go on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mug — a face
  14. last — finally
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spring — a coil
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — bread
  21. spell — letters
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. last — final
  24. squash — the sport

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