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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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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fall — to drop
  7. present — a gift
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bark — to shout
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. staff — employees
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fall — the season
  24. drill — a practice

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