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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — a price
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — electricity
  21. perch — the fish
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — a trail
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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