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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: row · snap · ball · wound · chest · trunk · bowl · tube

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. row — a line
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tube — a container
  14. chest — of your body
  15. snap — to click
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chest — a box
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ball — a great time
  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