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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: drill · hand · trunk · wake · tube · wave · bowl · can

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hand — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tube — a container
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hand — help
  19. tube — the underground
  20. drill — army training
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — in a tire

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