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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: press · spring · perch · net · wave · cabinet · plane · trunk

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. perch — the fish
  4. press — newspapers
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. net — after costs
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — to push
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — in sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. net — for catching

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