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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lie — to recline
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spell — letters
  12. ground — the earth
  13. spell — magic
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bound — certain
  17. ground — crushed
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ground — a position
  24. arm — part of the body

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