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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. drill — a practice
  3. board — a committee
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — in music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — for a lock
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. board — to get on
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. drill — army training
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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