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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.

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: bass · trunk · temple · safe · mine · squash · mark · nail

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. squash — the sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mark — a grade
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mine — for digging
  24. trunk — of a car

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