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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. march — the month
  5. present — the time now
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. present — a gift
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. roll — a cake
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. roll — a list
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. season — of the year

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