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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 · lean · tear · tube · pitch · trunk · bay · wave

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. spell — letters
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spell — a short time
  13. tube — the underground
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — thin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tube — a container
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lean — to bend

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