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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — to get on
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mate — to breed
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. net — for catching
  7. chest — of your body
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chest — a box
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. board — a committee
  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