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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: present · saw · cold · mouse · mug · band · rock · trunk

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. band — a ring
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mug — a face
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cold — an illness
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. rock — music
  16. present — a gift
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. present — there
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mug — a cup
  24. band — a music group

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