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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: mouse · rest · snap · mate · spell · trunk · bat · cabinet

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. snap — to click
  12. mate — a partner
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — for a computer

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