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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 120 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: spring · trunk · rest · coach · suit · safe · object · cell

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. suit — clothes
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. spring — the season
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — a coil
  14. object — an aim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spring — of water
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. suit — in cards
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. object — a thing
  22. cell — a phone
  23. object — to protest
  24. cell — in biology

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