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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rush — hurry
  6. track — a song
  7. swing — to play on
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. swing — music
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a path
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rush — a thrill

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