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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · toast · trunk · chest · rush · racket · dip · last

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chest — of your body
  3. last — finally
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. last — final
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rash — hasty
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. last — to go on
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chest — a box
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rash — a series
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. dip — to sink
  24. trunk — of a tree

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