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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rush — hurry
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spell — letters
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. spell — magic
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — to get on
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. toast — bread

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