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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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468
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: can · spring · safe · trunk · kid · stand · foot · bear

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. spring — of water
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. can — to be able to
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — child
  21. spring — the season
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stand — to bear
  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