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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: net · mouse · wind · trunk · spell · mark

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. 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. wind — to turn a key
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. net — for catching
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spell — magic
  11. net — after costs
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. net — in sport
  18. 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