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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: chair · drill · trunk · wake · can · kick · net · track

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — after costs
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. drill — a practice
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — a song
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chair — a leader
  16. net — in sport
  17. drill — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — in football
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. kick — a thrill

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