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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · spell · bear · ground · wake · race · kick · jam

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. race — the arms race
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kick — in football
  9. race — humankind
  10. season — of the year
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. spell — letters
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. season — in sport
  19. ground — a position
  20. race — a contest
  21. wake — a trail
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — to put up with

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