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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: rush · foot · stick · bat · pass · bound · trunk · drill

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bound — certain
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. drill — the tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — tied together
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. drill — army training
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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