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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: spell · ball · current · chip · rash · trunk · lash · key

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ball — a great time
  5. current — happening now
  6. key — in music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spell — magic
  16. current — of water
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ball — a dance
  19. current — electric
  20. rash — a series
  21. spell — letters
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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