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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 · mark · date · foot · shower · spring · mug · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mug — to rob
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mug — a face
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — the season
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. foot — a measure
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mug — a cup
  18. shower — rain
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mark — a grade
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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