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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: mark · wake · trunk · vault · season · track · spring · charge

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. track — to keep track
  3. charge — electricity
  4. track — a song
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mark — a trace
  7. track — a path
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. season — in sport
  10. charge — in control
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. season — of the year
  16. mark — a grade
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. charge — a price

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