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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 · march · current · prune · pass · fine · trunk · wind

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. fine — all right
  2. current — happening now
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — moving air
  5. drill — army training
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — electric
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. fine — high quality
  15. drill — a practice
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. march — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. wind — moving air
  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