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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bark · trunk · board · bass · straw · mate · pass

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. board — a committee
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. board — to get on
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mate — to breed
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pass — a permit
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. drill — army training
  21. mate — a partner
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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