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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. season — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mate — to breed
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mate — a partner
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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