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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 116 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: fall · pass · squash · board · trunk · saw · can · pop

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a committee
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fall — the season
  18. pop — music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. board — to get on
  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