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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · drill · spell · hand · toast · stick · tube · trunk

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. toast — bread
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. tube — a container
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. drill — army training
  20. spell — letters
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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