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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: spell · present · drill · bank · object · trunk · suit · clip

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. present — there
  3. spell — a short time
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. spell — magic
  8. clip — a video
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. suit — clothes
  14. present — a gift
  15. object — a thing
  16. spell — letters
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — the time now
  19. clip — for paper
  20. drill — army training
  21. object — an aim
  22. clip — to cut
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bank — of a river

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