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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 120 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: shower · drill · charge · fork · dip · land · mark · trunk

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. dip — to sink
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. charge — a price
  8. mark — a trace
  9. land — a country
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. charge — electricity
  15. drill — a practice
  16. shower — rain
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — in a road
  24. land — ground

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