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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rock — music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — the amount
  8. chair — a leader
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rest — what's left
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spell — a short time
  15. content — happy
  16. season — of the year
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spell — magic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lean — thin
  22. spell — letters
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rest — a break

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