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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: lie · cell · bank · perch · bass · last · squash · trunk

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cell — a phone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — finally
  10. cell — in biology
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. last — final
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. squash — to crush
  17. last — to go on
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — the vegetable

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