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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pop — music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. roll — a list
  13. pop — to visit
  14. roll — a cake
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. season — in sport
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pop — soda
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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