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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 · calf · trunk · pass · kid · mark · file · spell

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. spell — magic
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. spell — a short time
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mark — a grade
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. spell — letters
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. file — a line of people

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