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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 · rash · swing · mug · spring · wound · trunk · calf

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mug — a face
  5. swing — to play on
  6. spring — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. wound — an injury
  10. swing — in golf
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mug — a cup
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spring — of water
  17. content — the amount
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mug — to rob
  21. swing — music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. content — happy
  24. rash — on the skin

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