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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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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: row · firm · wind · pit · trunk · drill · object · chair

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. row — a line
  7. firm — decided
  8. row — to paddle
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. firm — a company
  12. wind — moving air
  13. firm — steady
  14. chair — a leader
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — a hole
  19. drill — army training
  20. object — a thing
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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