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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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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: trunk · leaves · cell · pit · jam · can · ruler · stick

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. can — a tin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pit — in a race

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