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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: trunk · mug · date · ball · hide · snap · spell · wake

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spell — letters
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. snap — to click
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wake — a trail
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spell — magic
  13. ball — a great time
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mug — a face
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. date — the fruit
  19. spell — a short time
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ball — a dance
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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