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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: spell · roll · trunk · date · rush · straw · bear · wound

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spell — magic
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. roll — a list
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. roll — a cake
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rush — hurry

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