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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: sharp · firm · trunk · prune · straw · cabinet · drill · saw

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. firm — steady
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. prune — to trim
  15. drill — a practice
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. firm — decided
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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