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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 120 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: drill · object · trunk · plane · hand · calf · swing · board

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. drill — a practice
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. drill — the tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. drill — army training
  8. hand — help
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hand — in cards
  11. swing — to play on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. swing — music
  17. object — to protest
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. swing — in golf
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. board — to get on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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