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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.

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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: bear · band · bay · trunk · squash · nail · fall · land

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. band — a ring
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — ground
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — to come down
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. squash — to crush
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bay — a horse colour

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