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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: chest · suit · trunk · ground · bass · ruler · season · tube

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. tube — a container
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — of the year
  13. ground — a position
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — crushed
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bass — low music
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. chest — a box
  24. trunk — of a tree

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