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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. drill — army training
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lean — to bend
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. board — a committee
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. drill — a practice
  18. board — to get on
  19. mark — a trace
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lean — thin
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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