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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · deal · can · shower · racket · content · leaves · trunk

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. content — the amount
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. shower — to wash
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. deal — to handle
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. shower — rain
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. content — happy
  23. can — a tin
  24. deal — a big deal

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