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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.

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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: nail · trunk · press · plane · mark · land · bark · game

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. press — to push
  4. plane — a tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bark — to shout
  7. game — a match
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. land — a country
  15. game — wild animals
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  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