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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: straw · trunk · fan · bulb · race · toast · bass · fine

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bass — the fish
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fine — all right
  14. toast — bread
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bass — low music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fan — a supporter

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