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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 120 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: pound · trunk · mate · mug · spell · dip · stick · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spell — magic
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — a face
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mate — a friend
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — letters
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pound — a weight
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. dip — to sink

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