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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — in sport
  3. rest — a break
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — a big deal

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