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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. game — a match
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — to grow
  10. can — to be able to
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. court — for sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — of law
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. court — of a king
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — wild animals
  21. spell — magic
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spell — letters

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