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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. clip — a video
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spell — letters
  15. bulb — for light
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — magic
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bulb — for light
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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