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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
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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: present · track · cold · mug · plane · ruler · trunk · toast

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. present — the time now
  3. mug — a cup
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cold — not warm
  6. track — a song
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. toast — bread
  10. present — a gift
  11. cold — an illness
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. present — there
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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