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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: can · mate · trunk · bass · chest · ball · rush · last

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — a box
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bass — low music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. last — to go on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. last — final
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — to hurry

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