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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. drill — army training
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — a hole
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — a grade
  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