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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: squash · stick · wound · mark · bulb · spring · drill · trunk

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. spring — of water
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. drill — army training
  16. spring — a coil
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — for light

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