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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · cold · drill · perch · bulb · trunk · plane · board

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. drill — a practice
  5. perch — the fish
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cold — not warm
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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