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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: nail · spell · bark · trunk · fall · foot · court · wake

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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 a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. court — of law
  4. wake — a trail
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. court — of a king
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — the season
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spell — magic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. court — for sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. spell — a short time
  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