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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 120 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: arm · coach · object · plane · cap · trunk · bound · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. object — a thing
  4. bound — tied together
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cap — a hat
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — the season
  14. plane — a tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — obliged
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — of ice
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spring — of water
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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