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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 120 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: rush · spell · game · content · rock · hand · trunk · lean

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lean — thin
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. game — wild animals
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. content — happy
  24. rock — a stone

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