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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: plane · snap · fine · bore · bay · cell · spell · trunk

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cell — a phone
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fine — all right
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. spell — magic
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spell — letters
  11. cell — in biology
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fine — high quality
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bore — to drill

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