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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bark — to shout
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — of the year
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fine — all right
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rule — a law
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rule — government
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fine — a penalty

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