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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: date · cap · trunk · rock · jam · bound · dip · leaves

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rock — music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bound — certain
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rock — a stone
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. jam — in traffic

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