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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.

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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bank — for money
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. drill — army training
  19. cap — of ice
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — a trail
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. drill — a practice
  24. leaves — lets stay

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