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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: pound · spell · trunk · staff · leaves · track · mouse · plane

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — a tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pound — a weight
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. track — a path
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. plane — an aircraft

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