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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: trunk · nail · wake · jam · mouse · bound · stock · patient

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bound — obliged
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — goods
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bound — certain
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wake — a trail
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. bound — tied together

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