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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · board · patient · object · bear · saw · trunk · snap

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. object — a thing
  10. bear — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. snap — to click
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. object — an aim
  17. season — in sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. season — of the year
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. board — to get on
  24. patient — a sick person

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