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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 120 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.

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: swing · hide · cabinet · season · bear · rule · trunk · band

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — in golf
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. season — of the year
  5. swing — to play on
  6. band — a ring
  7. rule — government
  8. season — in sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. swing — music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. hide — to keep secret

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