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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: track · staff · wave · drill · trunk · mate · board · rest

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. drill — the tool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. drill — army training
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — a path
  8. board — to get on
  9. track — a song
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. staff — a stick
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — a practice
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rest — a break
  24. wave — of the sea

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