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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.

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: nail · mug · key · fan · bound · land · trunk · wake

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mug — a cup
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mug — a face
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — certain
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — in music
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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