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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.

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: spell · racket · last · drill · object · trunk · tube · rock

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rock — a stone
  4. spell — a short time
  5. object — an aim
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. object — to protest
  8. tube — the underground
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. tube — a container
  12. drill — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — music
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. drill — a practice
  20. last — final
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. drill — army training
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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