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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  4. race — a contest
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. race — humankind
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. drill — the tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. track — a song
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — to keep track
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. drill — a practice
  24. prune — to trim

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