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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bound — tied together
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mug — a face
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bound — certain
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — to put up with

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