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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · last · bear · trunk · wave · field · bass · foot

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. field — farmland
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. foot — a measure
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. field — a subject
  12. bass — low music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. last — finally
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bass — the fish
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. last — to go on
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. last — final
  24. bear — the animal

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