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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: bat · pop · bay · dip · saw · rash · trunk · mate

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rash — a series
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a partner
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mate — to breed
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mate — a friend
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pop — music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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