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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. club — for golf
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. clip — for paper
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — a group
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. clip — a video
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. season — of the year
  24. date — on the calendar

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