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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: roll · can · spell · trunk · spring · bowl · patient · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — magic
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — of water
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. spell — a short time
  10. roll — a list
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. spell — letters
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. trunk — of a tree

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