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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: file · drill · bound · pass · cell · bank · wake · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. drill — army training
  9. pass — a permit
  10. file — a document
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bound — obliged
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. file — a tool

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