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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.

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: bear · wound · trunk · can · shower · spring · scale · board

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — of water
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spring — a coil
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bear — the animal
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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