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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 · bass · rule · stem · fine · can · wind · trunk

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rule — government
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. drill — army training
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rule — a law
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — low music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fine — all right
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bass — the fish
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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