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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 116 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 · band · present · rush · mug · mine · chair · rash

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. present — there
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mug — to rob
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. band — a ring
  9. present — a gift
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chair — a leader
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mine — for digging
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mug — a face
  20. present — the time now
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rash — a series

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