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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. drill — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — a thing
  5. club — a group
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — the tool
  10. object — an aim
  11. club — for dancing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. drill — army training
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. staff — employees
  24. club — for golf

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