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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: rash · last · trunk · net · hide · toast

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. net — after costs
  7. last — to go on
  8. rash — a series
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. last — final
  11. toast — bread
  12. net — in sport
  13. last — finally
  14. net — for catching
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired

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