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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · last · trunk · spring · bass · rush · fine · foot

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. saw — the tool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — hurry
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spring — of water
  8. fine — high quality
  9. last — final
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. last — to go on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bass — low music
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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