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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. board — a committee
  13. band — a music group
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. board — to get on
  16. band — a ring
  17. season — of the year
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. shower — rain
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. shower — to wash
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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