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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. drill — army training
  3. current — of water
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. key — for a lock
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. key — in music
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. current — happening now
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. current — electric

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