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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: mark · net · dip · firm · land · spring · stick · trunk

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spring — the season
  4. net — for catching
  5. dip — to sink
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — of water
  10. firm — decided
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. firm — steady
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — in sport
  15. land — a country
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. net — after costs
  18. mark — a trace
  19. firm — a company
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — ground

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