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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 120 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: cap · fan · trunk · file · rash · saw · drill · rock

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rock — music
  4. cap — of ice
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a document
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rock — a stone
  17. drill — army training
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. file — a tool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rash — a series

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