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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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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: swing · cell · straw · rest · plane · mug · present · trunk

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rest — a break
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cell — in biology
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cell — a phone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. present — a gift
  21. mug — a face
  22. present — there
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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