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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 120 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: ground · deal · mug · march · hide · trunk · nail · stick

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mug — a face
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mug — a cup
  7. deal — to handle
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — a position
  15. march — music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — the earth
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ground — crushed
  24. trunk — of a car

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