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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: mug · wake · saw · shower · rest · drill · trunk · pitcher

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. shower — rain
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. drill — army training
  9. mug — a face
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. mug — a cup
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. trunk — of a car

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