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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: hand · toast · bass · track · trunk · spell · firm · arm

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hand — help
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — decided
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. firm — steady
  9. toast — bread
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. track — to keep track
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. firm — a company
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — low music
  22. track — a song
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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