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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.

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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: trunk · fan · drill · press · wake · cue · mark · last

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. last — finally
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. press — to push
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mark — a grade
  11. drill — army training
  12. cue — a signal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. last — final
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. last — to go on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cue — a hint
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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