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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.

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 · net · dip · stem · file · trunk · rash · bay

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a document
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. file — a tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rash — hasty
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — a series
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. drill — the tool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. drill — army training
  23. net — for catching
  24. file — a line of people

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