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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. scale — in music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pit — a hole
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. face — to point toward
  13. roll — a list
  14. tear — from crying
  15. scale — size or range
  16. tear — to rip
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tear — from crying
  21. roll — a cake
  22. face — to confront
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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