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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. court — of law
  3. board — a committee
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stem — to come from
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. charge — a price
  11. mug — a cup
  12. court — for sport
  13. charge — in control
  14. board — to get on
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wind — moving air
  20. court — of a king
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. charge — electricity

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