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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: lash · trunk · wind · bowl · spell · bear · clip · key

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. spell — magic
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wind — moving air
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. key — in music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bowl — a dish

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