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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mark — a trace
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spring — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cap — a hat
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spring — a coil
  14. snap — to click
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pit — in a race
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cap — a lid

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