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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: spell · spring · capital · stem · trunk · vault · mug · present

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. mug — a cup
  4. capital — money
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spell — a short time
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. present — a gift
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. present — the time now
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. capital — a city
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spell — magic
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spring — of water
  21. present — there
  22. mug — a face
  23. spell — letters
  24. mug — to rob

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