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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. present — the time now
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fall — the season
  8. season — of the year
  9. present — a gift
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — in sport
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. present — there
  18. last — final
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fall — to drop
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. jam — in traffic

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