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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 · suit · trunk · snap · ground · last · march · patient

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. march — the month
  3. ground — crushed
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. snap — to click
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — in cards
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. march — the month
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. last — final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. suit — clothes
  19. last — finally
  20. ground — the earth
  21. last — to go on
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ground — a position

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