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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. vault — a safe
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. board — a committee
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kick — in football

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