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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.

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: trunk · net · mine · drill · plane · mouse · stick · spring

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. spring — the season
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. net — in sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. net — after costs
  24. spring — a coil

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