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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.

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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: board · drill · plane · wax · can · shower · field · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. wax — to grow
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. can — a tin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. field — for sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. shower — to wash
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — a tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. board — a committee
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. shower — rain

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