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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · present · trunk · swing · hide · capital · toast · saw

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — there
  5. toast — bread
  6. spring — the season
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. capital — money
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. present — a gift
  12. capital — a city
  13. spring — of water
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. present — the time now
  21. swing — to play on
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. swing — music

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