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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 · last · can · trunk · stick · rush · cold · suit

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. last — finally
  6. suit — to fit
  7. last — final
  8. drill — the tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rush — hurry
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. last — to go on
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. trunk — of a car

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