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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: trunk · jam · last · mug · cell · nail · key · bass

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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 cup
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cell — in biology
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mug — to rob
  8. key — in music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — to go on
  15. cell — a phone
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. key — for a lock
  18. last — final
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bass — the fish
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  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