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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.

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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: trunk · firm · safe · wake · rush · court · bat · drill

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bat — the animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wake — a trail
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. drill — army training
  17. firm — decided
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. firm — a company
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. firm — steady
  22. court — of law
  23. drill — a practice
  24. trunk — of a car

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