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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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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: toast · march · nail · firm · spring · fan · trunk · hide

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — of water
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spring — the season
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. march — the month
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — steady
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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