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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: trunk · fall · dip · mug · can · lie · jam · mine

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fall — the season
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. dip — to sink
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — a face
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a cup
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. jam — a tight spot

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