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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cold — an illness
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mate — to breed
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. temple — a place of worship

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