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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. ball — a dance
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ball — a great time
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. season — of the year
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — hurry

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