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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. charge — a price
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — to sink
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. staff — employees
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a lid
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. staff — a stick

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