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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: nail · drill · capital · branch · trunk · rush · straw · object

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. object — an aim
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. object — a thing
  8. capital — a city
  9. rush — hurry
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. capital — money
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. object — to protest
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. drill — a practice
  21. branch — a division
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rush — 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