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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: mate · current · drill · spring · trunk · bat · wave · ball

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. current — electric
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — happening now
  10. bat — the animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spring — of water
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ball — a great time
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spring — the season
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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