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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: foot · mark · drill · trunk · cabinet · season · mate · saw

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. season — of the year
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. drill — the tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mate — a friend
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. drill — army training
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mark — a grade
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mate — a partner
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — to pay attention

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