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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 · mine · object · bound · deal · rush · land

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — a thing
  9. land — to come down
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — ground
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bound — certain
  19. deal — to handle
  20. land — a country
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. object — an aim

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