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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.

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: trunk · mug · content · toast · date · bear · object · mine

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. content — happy
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mug — a face
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — to rob
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. content — the amount
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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