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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: band · mate · hand · hide · trunk · suit · season · bass

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hand — help
  3. mate — to breed
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mate — a partner
  10. season — of the year
  11. suit — to fit
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bass — low music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — a friend
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hand — in cards
  23. season — in sport
  24. band — a ring

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