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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 124 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. board — to get on
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. board — a committee
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. shower — to wash
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — of the year
  18. spring — of water
  19. cell — a phone
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spring — the season
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hand — in cards

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