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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.

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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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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: last · bay · toast · pit · trunk · bank · chair · rock

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. toast — bread
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chair — a leader
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — final
  11. rock — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bank — for money
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. last — to go on
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. last — finally
  24. bay — a horse colour

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