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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 120 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: mug · rush · foot · land · mine · pass · trunk · bowl

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. land — ground
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rush — hurry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mug — a face
  22. land — a country
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bowl — to roll

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