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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. land — ground
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rush — hurry
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. date — the fruit
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cap — of ice
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — to recline
  14. land — to come down
  15. cap — a lid
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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