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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — of the year
  4. chest — a box
  5. shower — rain
  6. present — a gift
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rush — hurry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. present — there
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. deal — to handle
  22. present — the time now
  23. season — in sport
  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