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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. tube — the underground
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stand — to bear
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — a container
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. swing — to play on
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. squash — to crush
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tube — in a tire

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