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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — a permit
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bank — of a river
  24. clip — a video

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