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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: hand · bass · cap · can · net · rest · trunk · perch

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. net — in sport
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. net — for catching
  11. cap — a hat
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rest — a break
  14. cap — a lid
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hand — help
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. net — after costs
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bass — low music
  23. can — a tin
  24. hand — in cards

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