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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: mine · suit · trunk · stock · lie · bound · season · cap

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bound — obliged
  5. suit — clothes
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — goods
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mine — for digging
  13. season — in sport
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bound — certain
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. season — of the year
  22. stock — shares
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. suit — to fit

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