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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: trunk · fine · march · dip · roll · toast · object · drill

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. object — a thing
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. drill — army training
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fine — high quality
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. object — to protest
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. toast — bread
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. dip — to sink
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fine — all right

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