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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: trunk · bark · safe · plane · squash · nail · ground · mark

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. squash — the sport
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. plane — a tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bark — to shout
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mark — a grade
  15. squash — to crush
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. trunk — of a car

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