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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: bass · foot · jam · trunk · saw · tear · bay · fine

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bass — low music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bass — the fish
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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