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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lie — to recline
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. drill — the tool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. suit — in cards
  15. drill — army training
  16. land — a country
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — to come down
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. land — ground
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wave — with your hand

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