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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 116 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 · scale · bass · saw · bowl · present · wind · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. present — a gift
  4. bass — low music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. scale — in music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — there
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. band — a music group
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. band — a ring
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. scale — size or range
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wind — moving air
  22. present — the time now
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — a dish

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