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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 116 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: spring · racket · lash · bear · present · board · march · hide

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — there
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. board — to get on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — music
  12. present — the time now
  13. board — a committee
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. march — the month
  19. present — a gift
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. march — the month

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