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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: bowl · wake · craft · saw · trunk · band · bass · chip

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. craft — boats
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bass — low music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. band — a ring
  8. chip — for betting
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. band — a music group
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bass — the fish
  20. craft — a skill
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. saw — the tool

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