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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. perch — the fish
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. season — of the year
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. season — in sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — high quality
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rule — government
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rule — a law
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. arm — part of the body

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