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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 · season · bay · nail · charge · trunk · bore · wave

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. spell — a short time
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. season — of the year
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spell — magic
  12. bore — to tire
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — in sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spell — letters
  20. charge — in control
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. wave — with your hand

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