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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. date — the fruit
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. object — a thing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. object — an aim
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. date — on the calendar
  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