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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lean — to bend
  6. scale — size or range
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. scale — in music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lean — thin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. toast — bread
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. scale — for weighing

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