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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rush — hurry
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lie — to recline
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rule — a law
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — government
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. season — in sport
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — of the year
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. safe — a strongbox

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