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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. kid — child
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. kid — to tease
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pop — soda
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. pop — music
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mine — for digging

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