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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · rest · trunk · season · straw · pitcher · jam · cabinet

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. season — of the year
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rest — a break
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pitcher — a jug

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