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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: straw · trunk · dip · can · court · bowl · file · nail

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. can — a tin
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. dip — to sink
  10. file — a document
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. court — for sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. court — of law
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. file — a tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. court — of a king

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