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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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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: trunk · arm · vault · suit · content · nail · drill · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. drill — a practice
  3. suit — to fit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. drill — the tool
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — the amount
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. content — happy
  17. drill — army training
  18. suit — in cards
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. vault — a safe
  24. nail — on a finger

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