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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · spell · current · deal · cold · lash · hide · band

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spell — a short time
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. deal — to handle
  10. spell — magic
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spell — letters
  21. band — a music group
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. band — a ring
  24. cold — not warm

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