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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. season — of the year
  3. tube — the underground
  4. band — a music group
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — a container
  7. charge — electricity
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. season — in sport
  15. squash — the sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a ring
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. charge — in control
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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