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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. squash — to crush
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. spell — letters
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. board — a committee
  10. toast — bread
  11. squash — the sport
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. board — to get on
  14. rash — a series
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — hasty
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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