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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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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: trunk · wave · rush · drill · can · pass · field · band

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a music group
  7. can — a tin
  8. field — a subject
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. drill — army training
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — a practice
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pass — a permit
  20. field — for sport
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. field — farmland
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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