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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: fan · saw · board · spell · lash · season · trunk · straw

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. season — of the year
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spell — a short time
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. board — a committee
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — magic
  16. season — in sport
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. board — to get on
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — the tool

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