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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fall — the season
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. season — in sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fall — to drop
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. clip — to cut
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — of the year
  24. pound — a weight

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