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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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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. shower — to wash
  5. dip — to sink
  6. lean — to bend
  7. shower — rain
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — thin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a committee
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — to get on
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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