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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. key — the most important part
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bank — of a river
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bank — for money
  11. dip — to sink
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. prune — to trim
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. key — in music
  22. plane — a tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. plane — an aircraft

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