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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. club — for dancing
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — in a race
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — for golf
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bound — obliged
  22. club — a group
  23. bound — tied together
  24. jam — a tight spot

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