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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fall — the season
  7. snap — to click
  8. board — a committee
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. band — a ring
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a music group
  17. toast — bread
  18. board — to get on
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fall — to drop
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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