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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: saw · present · toast · rock · firm · ball · trunk · chest

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. firm — decided
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. firm — steady
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rock — music
  10. toast — bread
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. present — there
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chest — a box
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chest — of your body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. firm — a company

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