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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
468
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: chest · spell · hide · pit · trunk · bass · hand · deal

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chest — of your body
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. chest — a box
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — a short time
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — help

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