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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: chair · snap · bound · trunk · perch · mark · spring · dip

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mark — a trace
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — of water
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spring — the season
  10. chair — a leader
  11. dip — to sink
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mark — a grade
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. perch — the fish
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. snap — to click
  24. bound — tied together

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