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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: spell · jam · hand · nail · game · trunk · wake · temple

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. game — wild animals
  6. spell — letters
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. nail — on a finger

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