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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: nail · season · rash · bear · board · mug · tube · prune

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tube — a container
  3. season — of the year
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — to rob
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a committee
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — in sport

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