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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 124 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: file · can · drill · track · cell · trunk · wave · spell

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — to be able to
  6. file — a document
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spell — a short time
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. file — a tool
  14. track — to keep track
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. track — a path
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — a song
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. drill — army training
  23. cell — in biology
  24. spell — letters

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