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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spring — of water
  13. board — a committee
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. board — to get on
  16. lean — thin
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. date — the fruit
  24. spring — the season

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