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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — the cause
  6. season — in sport
  7. swing — to play on
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rule — government
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rule — a law
  12. season — of the year
  13. root — of a plant
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. swing — in golf
  18. root — of a word
  19. staff — employees
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. swing — music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lie — an untruth

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