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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: mouse · leaves · face · bulb · dip · date · trunk · jam

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. face — to point toward
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. date — the fruit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. face — to confront
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bulb — for light
  24. dip — to sink

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