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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 116 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: land · drill · bark · plane · scale · dip · trunk · lash

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. scale — in music
  4. drill — army training
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. drill — a practice
  9. land — ground
  10. bark — to shout
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. land — a country
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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