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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: roll · hand · charge · tear · pass · trunk · drill · jam

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. tear — from crying
  6. charge — in control
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. roll — a list
  12. hand — help
  13. pass — a permit
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. roll — a cake
  16. charge — a price
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tear — to rip
  22. drill — army training
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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