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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: fan · rest · saw · bay · scale · jam · band · trunk

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. band — a ring
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a music group
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. scale — size or range
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — a break
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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