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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.

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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 · trunk · fan · hide · hand · suit · game · cabinet

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. hand — in cards
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hand — help
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. game — a match
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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