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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 · scale · spring · hand · rash · toast · trunk · stick

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. hand — help
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — the season
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — size or range
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. hand — in cards
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rash — hasty
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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