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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
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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: last · file · wind · trunk · bark · jam · squash · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. squash — to crush
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. bark — to shout
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. file — a tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. last — final
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mug — a cup

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