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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: drill · hide · fall · deal · plane · spring · wound · nail

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — a coil
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. plane — a tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fall — to drop
  12. drill — a practice
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. drill — the tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. drill — army training
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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