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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: fan · straw · object · drill · kid · cue · trunk · leaves

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — a signal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kid — to tease
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kid — child
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — for pool
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. drill — army training

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