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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. season — of the year
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. press — to push
  9. lie — to recline
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. degree — an amount
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. degree — temperature

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