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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: snap · can · current · wax · spell · bat · trunk · temple

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. current — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spell — magic
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — happening now
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. current — electric
  11. bat — the animal
  12. spell — letters
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to click
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — to be able to

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