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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: spell · pop · jam · charge · saw · bat · wave · trunk

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — letters
  6. charge — electricity
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — a price
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pop — to visit
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. charge — in control
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. jam — in traffic

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