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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · trunk · arm · jam · mark · race · rock · date

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. date — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mark — a grade
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mark — a trace
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rock — to move gently

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