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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: fine · roll · object · trunk · season · wind · hand · nail

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fine — all right
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. object — an aim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hand — help
  16. season — of the year
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. season — in sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fine — high quality
  23. roll — a list
  24. wind — moving air

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