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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 · spring · stand · club · season · leaves · trunk · mug

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stand — to bear
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mug — a cup
  7. club — for dancing
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. drill — army training
  10. season — in sport
  11. club — a group
  12. spring — the season
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — a coil
  15. drill — the tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. spring — of water
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mug — a face
  23. season — of the year
  24. leaves — of a tree

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