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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — to protest
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. object — a thing
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. board — a committee
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. object — an aim
  22. board — to get on
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. board — a flat piece

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