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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · dip · trunk · roll · coach · fall · ball · rule

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ball — a dance
  4. roll — a list
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rule — a law
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — the season
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ball — a great time
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rule — government
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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