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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rush — hurry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ground — a position
  22. spell — letters
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kid — child

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