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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 116 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: suit · present · spring · charge · cell · trunk · game · key

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. present — there
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cell — a phone
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. charge — in control
  10. spring — of water
  11. game — wild animals
  12. present — a gift
  13. key — in music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — a match
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cell — in biology
  19. charge — electricity
  20. suit — in cards
  21. present — the time now
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. key — for a lock
  24. suit — clothes

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