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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.

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: trunk · mark · racket · spring · bear · hide · stick · board

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — of water
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — the season
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — a coil
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. board — to get on
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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