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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: content · bay · wound · nail · object · spell · rash · trunk

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — hasty
  7. object — a thing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rash — a series
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. content — the amount
  22. object — an aim
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of a car

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