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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: dip · field · net · rest · trunk · bass · mug · last

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — low music
  5. net — for catching
  6. last — to go on
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rest — a break
  9. bass — the fish
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. last — finally
  14. mug — to rob
  15. last — final
  16. field — farmland
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. net — in sport
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. net — after costs
  23. rest — what's left
  24. dip — a sauce

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