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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spring — the season
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spring — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mark — a trace
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ruler — for measuring

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