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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mate — to breed
  3. content — happy
  4. season — of the year
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — of law
  8. season — in sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. content — the amount
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. court — for sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. court — of a king
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mate — a partner
  24. can — a tin

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