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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: plane · spell · ground · trunk · court · rock · cell · snap

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. spell — letters
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ground — the earth
  6. court — of a king
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. court — for sport
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rock — music
  11. cell — a phone
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — a position
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. snap — to click
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rock — a stone
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. court — of law

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