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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mate — a partner
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fine — all right
  10. roll — a list
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fine — high quality
  20. season — in sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — of the year
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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