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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spring — a coil
  3. squash — to crush
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. spring — the season
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. date — the fruit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rule — a law
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rule — government
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pop — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spring — of water
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pop — soda
  24. jam — in traffic

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