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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: spring · spell · trunk · cabinet · wave · stock · coach · scale

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — a coil
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. scale — in music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — shares
  13. spell — letters
  14. spring — of water
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spring — the season
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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