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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. drill — the tool
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — army training
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. spring — a coil
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. spring — of water
  21. swing — music
  22. drill — a practice
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spring — the season

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