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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: nail · staff · trunk · lash · spell · wake · bank · wound

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spell — a short time
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — letters
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. staff — employees
  24. trunk — of a car

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