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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · trunk · fan · hide · hand · suit

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. hand — help
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — the animal

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