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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: drill · rash · chip · mate · spell · trunk · tube · ball

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. tube — a container
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mate — a partner
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spell — magic
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chip — to eat
  21. drill — army training
  22. rash — hasty
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mate — to breed

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