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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: temple · key · snap · trunk · bear · bat · spell · bulb

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to click
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — magic
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bat — the animal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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