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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. firm — a company
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fall — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. drill — the tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. firm — decided
  16. drill — army training
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. firm — steady

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