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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: present · trunk · rest · firm · spring · tube · bore · plane

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — a tool
  4. present — there
  5. firm — steady
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. present — the time now
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. firm — decided
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. present — a gift
  21. tube — the underground
  22. firm — a company
  23. spring — of water
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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