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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 · stand · face · bound · trunk · nail · staff · mate

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spring — of water
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spring — the season
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bound — certain
  8. staff — employees
  9. bound — obliged
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — a partner
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. face — to confront
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. staff — employees
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — on a finger

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