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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
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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 · coach · wave · hide · deal · spell · cap · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spell — magic
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cap — a hat
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cap — a lid
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. roll — a list
  24. spell — letters

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