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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 · cap · trunk · tube · face · rash · foot · rule

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. face — part of the head
  5. foot — a measure
  6. face — to point toward
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rule — government
  13. tube — the underground
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. tube — a container
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rash — a series
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. face — to confront
  21. cap — a hat
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rule — a law

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