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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: drill · pound · cabinet · trunk · mouse · tube · plane · ground

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. drill — army training
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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