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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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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: pass · chip · drill · hide · straw · cell · fork · trunk

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. drill — the tool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chip — for betting
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — army training
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden 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