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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: bank · cue · spell · hide · spring · calf · hand · trunk

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spell — letters
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spell — magic
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spring — of water
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — a signal
  24. calf — a young animal

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