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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: content · mouse · spring · season · cabinet · trunk · suit · mark

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. content — happy
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. spring — of water
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. spring — a coil
  22. content — the amount
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mark — a grade

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