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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: field · spring · suit · mine · trunk · cabinet · face · present

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — a gift
  5. field — a subject
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spring — of water
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mine — for digging
  14. present — the time now
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. present — there
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. spring — the season
  23. face — to confront
  24. trunk — of a tree

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