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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · bear · trunk · ball · pass · lash · coach · field

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a great time
  5. field — for sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. drill — army training
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. drill — a practice
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. lash — an eyelash

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