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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: saw · bass · dip · trunk · object · coach · last · foot

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. object — to protest
  3. dip — to sink
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. bass — low music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. foot — a measure
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. last — finally
  15. object — an aim
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. object — a thing
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — the fish

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