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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. file — a document
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bear — the animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. object — a thing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mark — a trace
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mark — a grade
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — an aim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mark — to pay attention

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