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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hide · spell · wake · ball · bowl · file · trunk · vault

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. file — a tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — magic
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. spell — letters
  16. ball — a dance
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. file — a line of people

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