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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: trunk · spring · safe · march · cabinet · key · stem · hand

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hand — help
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — in music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — 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