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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — a short time
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. board — a committee

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