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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: can · season · bark · sharp · trunk · board · spring · saw

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. spring — the season
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bark — to shout
  10. board — to get on
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. board — a committee
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spring — of water
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. can — to be able to
  24. trunk — of a car

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