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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: bark · spring · tube · foot · prune · current · cabinet · trunk

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. spring — a coil
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. tube — a container
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bark — to shout
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — electric
  20. spring — the season
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spring — of water

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