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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — a company
  9. key — for a lock
  10. kick — in football
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. firm — decided
  14. drill — army training
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fall — the season
  24. kick — a thrill

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