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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: cabinet · trunk · date · bear · rock · current · chair · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — a stone
  16. current — electric
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. chair — a leader
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rock — music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cabinet — ministers

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