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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.

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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: drill · spring · squash · tube · trunk · board · object · saw

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spring — the season
  5. drill — army training
  6. spring — a coil
  7. object — an aim
  8. tube — a container
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. object — to protest
  12. squash — to crush
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. object — a thing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. squash — the sport
  21. tube — the underground
  22. board — to get on
  23. spring — of water
  24. trunk — of a tree

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