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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 116 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: nail · trunk · rash · racket · leaves · track · bowl · spring

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — hasty
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. track — to keep track
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rash — a series
  17. spring — a coil
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spring — the season
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spring — of water
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — a song

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