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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: bay · wound · roll · rash · bowl · trunk · mate · cabinet

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. roll — a list
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rash — a series
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mate — a friend
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. trunk — of a tree

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