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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: fan · drill · plane · tube · bulb · cabinet · stock · wound

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — the tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — shares
  10. drill — army training
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stock — goods
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. plane — a tool

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