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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: content · fan · jam · clip · present · trunk · deal · shower

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. content — the amount
  3. clip — for paper
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. shower — rain
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. present — there
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. present — a gift
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — the time now
  17. content — happy
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. deal — to handle
  21. clip — a video
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. clip — to cut

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