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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
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: stock · mouse · charge · spring · land · object · drill · trunk

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. spring — of water
  3. object — to protest
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. object — an aim
  13. drill — army training
  14. charge — a price
  15. object — a thing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. land — ground
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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