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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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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: prune · chest · stand · dip · mug · fan · jam · wake

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chest — a box
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. prune — to trim

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