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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 120 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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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: suit · last · foot · drill · net · trunk · pass · cue

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. suit — to fit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. net — after costs
  11. foot — a measure
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cue — a signal
  15. net — for catching
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cue — a hint
  18. drill — army training
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. last — finally
  23. drill — the tool
  24. net — in sport

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