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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 · can · last · mate · wave · current · hand · drill

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. current — electric
  10. last — finally
  11. current — happening now
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — of water
  16. last — final
  17. drill — army training
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hand — help
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wave — with your hand

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