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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: rest · spell · patient · net · charge · board · deal · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spell — letters
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rest — what's left
  8. net — after costs
  9. charge — in control
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rest — a break
  12. board — a committee
  13. spell — a short time
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. charge — electricity
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — in sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. charge — a price
  23. spell — magic
  24. net — for catching

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