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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · drill · wake · rule · trunk · dip

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. dip — to sink
  3. season — of the year
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. drill — army training
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — in sport
  18. wake — a trail

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