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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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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: bat · straw · trunk · suit · drill · vault · nail · race

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. suit — to fit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. suit — in cards
  12. drill — army training
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. drill — the tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. suit — clothes
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. race — the arms race
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. race — a contest
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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