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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: tear · march · mug · drill · perch · tube · trunk · suit

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. tube — a container
  3. drill — army training
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mug — a face
  9. suit — in cards
  10. march — the month
  11. suit — clothes
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. tube — the underground
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tear — to rip
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. march — the month
  22. tear — from crying
  23. march — music
  24. trunk — 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