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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. deal — to handle
  3. last — finally
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. perch — the fish
  7. kick — in football
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bound — obliged
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. last — to go on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. last — final
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. rule — a law
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rule — government

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