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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 · spell · trunk · perch · tear · wound · ground · snap

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. object — an aim
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spell — magic
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to click
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ground — a position
  10. spell — letters
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. perch — the fish
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. object — a thing
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ground — the earth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ground — crushed
  24. object — to protest

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