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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cold — an illness
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. spring — a coil
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. roll — a list
  8. spring — the season
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rash — a series
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spring — of water
  19. roll — a cake
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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