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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: staff · drill · file · arm · spell · wake · deal · trunk

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spell — a short time
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. staff — a stick
  9. file — a document
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. file — a tool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. drill — army training
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spell — letters
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — a practice
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. file — a line of people
  24. deal — to handle

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