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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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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 · fine · band · trunk · nail · march · rock · bay

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. march — the month
  11. hand — help
  12. rock — a stone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. band — a music group
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. band — a ring
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fine — all right
  21. march — music
  22. rock — music
  23. hand — in cards
  24. march — the month

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