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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 116 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: bass · lash · content · wind · track · dip · trunk · coach

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bass — low music
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. track — a song
  14. content — the amount
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. track — a path
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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