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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rock — music
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — in control
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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