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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.

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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: rush · fan · trunk · spring · bay · cap · mine · pass

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. spring — the season
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pass — a permit
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spring — of water
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fan — a supporter

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