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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: drill · tear · nail · trunk · pound · pop · wave · rush

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. tear — to rip
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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