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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.

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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: can · trunk · land · leaves · straw · rush · mouse · present

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. land — ground
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. present — there
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. land — to come down
  15. present — a gift
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. present — the time now
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mouse — the animal

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