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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · bowl · jam · mug · row · nail · mouse

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mug — a face
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mug — a cup
  22. row — a line
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bark — to shout

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