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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. content — happy
  6. mug — to rob
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cap — of ice
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mug — a face
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — to get on
  16. track — a path
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. track — a song
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — a hat

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