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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 120 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 · hand · rest · trunk · pit · craft · rash · mouse

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. hand — help
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. band — a music group
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hand — in cards
  18. craft — boats
  19. rash — a series
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rest — a break
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. craft — a handicraft

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