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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: bass · game · trunk · toast · hide · band · fan · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. game — a match
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. band — a music group
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a ring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. toast — bread
  20. sharp — clever
  21. game — wild animals
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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