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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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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: hand · last · mug · pass · can · trunk · rest · roll

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — in cards
  10. last — final
  11. can — to be able to
  12. last — to go on
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rest — a break
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. last — finally

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