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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: object · foot · trunk · pitcher · tube · bay · spell · sharp

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spell — magic
  4. object — an aim
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — a container
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tube — the underground
  16. foot — a measure
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. object — to protest
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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