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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: drill · suit · trunk · current · straw · bore · bay · field

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. field — a subject
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. field — for sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bore — to tire
  15. suit — to fit
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — to drill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — army training
  24. field — farmland

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