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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.

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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: stand · drill · spell · clip · trunk · rush · swing · fork

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rush — hurry
  6. clip — for paper
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. swing — music
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. clip — a video
  17. spell — a short time
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. clip — to cut
  21. swing — to play on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. spell — letters
  24. swing — in golf

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