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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 · chest · bark · mark · hide · safe · spring · fan

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. chest — a box
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spring — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spring — the season
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chest — of your body

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