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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 120 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: ruler · spring · stock · press · trunk · can · kick · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stock — shares
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spring — the season
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stock — goods
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — newspapers
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. press — a publisher
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. press — to push
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stock — a soup base

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