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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: cabinet · trunk · content · spring · firm · suit · chest · mouse

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. chest — of your body
  3. spring — the season
  4. firm — a company
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. chest — a box
  9. firm — decided
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — of water
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. suit — to fit
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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