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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: mouse · jam · trunk · band · straw · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a ring
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. band — a music group
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mouse — the animal

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