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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. season — of the year
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. kick — in football
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spell — magic
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fine — all right
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fine — high quality
  24. spell — letters

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