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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: bass · lash · ball · sharp · band · suit · trunk · mouse

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. band — a ring
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. band — a music group
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. sharp — clever
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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