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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 · lie · cap · staff · mate · game · trunk · dip

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — to breed
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mate — a friend
  11. game — a match
  12. staff — a stick
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a partner
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. staff — employees
  21. cap — a lid
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lie — to recline
  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