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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 120 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: stick · rock · straw · chip · trunk · chest · drill · firm

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. drill — army training
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chest — a box
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — the tool
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. drill — a practice
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. firm — a company
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rock — music

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