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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: club · dip · trunk · stem · drill · wind · can · mug

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mug — a cup
  3. drill — army training
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. drill — the tool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for golf
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. drill — a practice
  13. club — for dancing
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mug — to rob
  17. can — to be able to
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — a face
  22. club — a group
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving 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