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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: rush · mate · bound · cap · trunk · toast · pitcher · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bound — tied together
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bound — certain
  11. cap — a lid
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mate — a friend
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cap — a hat

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