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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. That must've been 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. rush — hurry
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mark — a grade
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pop — music
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pop — soda
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rush — a thrill
  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