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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: land · bay · chest · bass · saw · trunk · cue · mouse

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chest — a box
  6. cue — a signal
  7. land — a country
  8. bass — low music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. land — ground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — to come down
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mouse — 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