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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · jam · present · saw · mate · chest · suit · season

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — to breed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. chest — a box
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chest — of your body
  13. season — in sport
  14. suit — to fit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. season — of the year
  24. bay — a horse colour

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