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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · spell · mark · trunk · drill · mouse · track · cabinet

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. spell — magic
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. drill — the tool
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. drill — army training
  19. spell — letters
  20. mark — a grade
  21. drill — a practice
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mark — a trace

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