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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: bat · trunk · drill · dip · bank · cap · last · mate

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. last — to go on
  2. bat — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. last — final
  12. cap — a hat
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. last — finally
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bank — of a river
  20. drill — army training
  21. mate — a friend
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cap — of ice
  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