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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spell — letters
  9. rule — government
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. bound — obliged
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bound — certain
  20. rule — a law
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bear — the animal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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