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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 · track · spring · band · trunk · wake · stick · charge

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. track — a song
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. spring — of water
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. band — a ring
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. charge — in control
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. charge — a price
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. band — a music group
  22. charge — electricity
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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