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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. present — the time now
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. board — to get on
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. present — there
  11. snap — to click
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. present — a gift
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. foot — a measure
  24. board — a committee

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