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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cap — a hat
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — a lid
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. can — to be able to
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. shower — rain
  19. row — a line
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. shower — to wash
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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