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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
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: stand · straw · bulb · nail · wound · rest · hand · trunk

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — a break
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hand — help

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