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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: suit · key · spell · march · bore · ball · tear · trunk

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bore — to drill
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — letters
  6. tear — from crying
  7. march — music
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a great time
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. spell — magic
  19. tear — to rip
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tear — from crying
  22. spell — a short time
  23. key — in music
  24. march — the month

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