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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: track · jam · staff · wave · hand · trunk · face · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. track — a song
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. face — to confront
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. staff — a stick
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. hand — help
  24. wave — of the sea

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