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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · saw · rock · roll · lash · cell · mug · trunk

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. mug — a cup
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. mug — a face
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rock — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. roll — a cake

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