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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fine — all right
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. track — a song
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. track — a path
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — an untruth
  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