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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: foot · fine · trunk · fall · jam · wound · cell · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fall — the season
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fine — high quality
  6. date — the fruit
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cell — in biology
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fine — all right
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cell — a phone

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