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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rush — hurry
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. craft — a skill
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fine — high quality
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fine — all right
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. drill — army training

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