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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. season — of the year
  17. chest — a box
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chest — of your body
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. coach — a trainer

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