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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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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: stick · band · dip · trunk · spell · prune · snap · bay

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. dip — to sink
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. snap — to click
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. band — a ring
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spell — letters

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