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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rest — a break
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. current — of water
  15. pound — a weight
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rest — what's left
  20. current — electric
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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