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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: spell · tear · leaves · board · trunk · season · bear · press

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. board — to get on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — letters
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. season — of the year
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. press — to push
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — magic
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spell — a short time
  23. press — a publisher
  24. trunk — of a tree

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