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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. press — to push
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — a publisher
  11. file — a document
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lie — to recline
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lie — an untruth

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