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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · saw · swing · lie · trunk · season · court · straw

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. season — in sport
  4. lie — to recline
  5. season — of the year
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. swing — in golf
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. swing — to play on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — the tool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. drill — army training
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. saw — the tool

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