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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: bowl · wake · patient · trunk · spring · perch · spell · suit

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. spring — the season
  3. wake — a trail
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — a coil
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. spell — a short time
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — the fish
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spell — letters
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spring — of water
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — a sick person

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