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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
468
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: mine · fall · bear · mug · board · lash · trunk · net

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. net — in sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. board — to get on
  10. mine — for digging
  11. board — a committee
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — a face
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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