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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 124 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: drill · bank · lie · wake · nail · press · wound · trunk

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — to push
  9. drill — the tool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — for money
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. drill — a practice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. trunk — of a tree

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