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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: sharp · vault · toast · trunk · cold · mouse · band · mug

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mug — a face
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mug — a cup
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. band — a music group
  15. cold — not warm
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. band — a ring
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mug — to rob
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. sharp — clever

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