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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: suit · season · cap · hand · trunk · mark · band · craft

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. craft — boats
  12. cap — a lid
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a ring
  19. hand — help
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cap — of ice
  22. season — of the year
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. hand — in cards

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