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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. clip — a video
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. board — to get on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. board — a committee
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — a break
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kick — in football
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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