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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: calf · bay · can · stand · trunk · spell · roll · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. mug — a face
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — magic
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mug — to rob
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — letters
  17. can — to be able to
  18. roll — a list
  19. mug — a cup
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spell — a short time
  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