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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. staff — a stick
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spring — of water
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. spring — the season
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. march — music
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spring — a coil
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. staff — employees
  24. safe — out of danger

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