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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 116 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
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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: wind · kick · trunk · drill · pitcher · cabinet · pop · mine

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pop — soda
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. kick — in football
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mine — for digging
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pop — music

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