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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: wave · lash · club · nail · mug · bound · spell · trunk

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. spell — magic
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spell — letters
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. club — a group
  15. mug — a face
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. nail — for a hammer

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