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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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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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 an elephant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tear — to rip
  19. board — to get on
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. season — to add flavour

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