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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: band · lash · scale · trunk · stand · fan · toast · season

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. scale — size or range
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stand — to bear
  12. scale — in music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a music group
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. season — in sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. toast — bread
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. band — a ring
  24. stand — for spectators

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