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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
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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: mouse · bass · trunk · roll · season · saw · fan · last

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. season — of the year
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — the fish
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. last — final
  18. roll — a cake
  19. season — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. roll — a list
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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