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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · trunk · wax · season · temple · spring · charge · spell

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spring — of water
  5. wax — to grow
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mate — to breed
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. spring — the season
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spell — a short time
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. season — of the year
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. season — in sport
  18. charge — a price
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. charge — in control
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spring — a coil

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