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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: trunk · drill · sharp · hide · fan · fine · march · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mug — a face
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. drill — army training
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fine — all right
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — to cool the air

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