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

Word bank: drill · nail · racket · bark · toast · stick · trunk · wound

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — to shout
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. toast — bread

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