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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. band — a ring
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. season — in sport
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. band — a music group
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. wave — of the sea

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