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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 · prune · nail · club · can · ruler · drill · spring

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. spring — a coil
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. club — a group
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — the tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spring — the season
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. spring — of water
  22. club — for golf
  23. drill — a practice
  24. nail — on a finger

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