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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. suit — to fit
  23. staff — employees
  24. cold — not warm

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