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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mate — a friend
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spell — a short time
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rash — a series
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spell — letters
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mate — to breed
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spell — magic
  24. dip — a sauce

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