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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: prune · drill · can · fan · trunk · hide · wind · cap

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. drill — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — army training
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wind — moving air
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. drill — a practice
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cap — a hat
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fan — to cool the 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