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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: field · hand · wake · rest · drill · can · mug · trunk

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. can — a tin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rest — a break
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wake — a trail
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — farmland
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mug — a face
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. can — a tin
  23. field — a subject
  24. hand — part of the body

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