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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. staff — a stick
  3. drill — army training
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — a practice
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. season — in sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — the tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. season — of the year

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