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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · toast · bank · trunk · bark · bass · cell · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. toast — bread
  7. bank — of a river
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bank — for money
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bass — low music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. track — a song
  24. rush — a thrill

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