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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: mug · bay · land · rush · trunk · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mug — to rob
  6. land — to come down
  7. mug — a face
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. land — a country
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bay — a part 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