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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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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: bay · trunk · mouse · season · jam · lash · wound · bank

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. season — in sport
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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