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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: trunk · roll · deal · saw · dip · foot · spell · perch

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. perch — the fish
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. roll — a cake
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. dip — to sink
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. spell — a short time
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — a big deal

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