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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. present — a gift
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. file — a document
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. file — a tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. present — there
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. tube — the underground
  19. present — the time now
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — a container
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. nail — on a finger

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