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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. tube — the underground
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. date — the fruit
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. branch — a division
  11. spell — letters
  12. saw — the tool
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spell — a short time
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spell — magic
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. tube — a container
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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