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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. deal — to handle
  6. drill — army training
  7. pop — soda
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fine — high quality
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. craft — boats
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. craft — a skill
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. file — a tool
  21. pop — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. file — a line of people
  24. drill — a practice

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