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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cap — a hat
  4. kid — child
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — in sport
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cap — a lid
  13. kid — to tease
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — of the year
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rush — hurry
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chair — a leader

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