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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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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: cap · spring · nail · season · board · press · firm · trunk

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. firm — decided
  5. press — a publisher
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. press — to push
  10. season — in sport
  11. spring — the season
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. board — a committee
  14. cap — of ice
  15. board — to get on
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cap — a hat
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. press — newspapers
  24. season — of the year

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