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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 · trunk · hand · rush · fan · content · toast · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. toast — bread
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — hurry
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — magic
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spell — letters
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — help
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. content — the amount

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