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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
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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: chip · spell · season · rest · bat · bore · trunk · deal

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rest — a break
  4. spell — a short time
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bat — the animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spell — magic
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. spell — letters
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — to eat
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. trunk — of a car

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