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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: spring · wound · jam · can · deal · trunk · stick · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spring — of water
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. spring — the season
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. deal — to handle
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — a trace

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