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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: spell · bat · kick · deal · wake · trunk · ball · bore

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spell — letters
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bat — the animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spell — a short time
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. deal — to handle
  22. spell — magic
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. trunk — of a tree

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