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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. last — to go on
  8. stock — shares
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stock — goods
  14. last — final
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. board — a committee
  17. last — finally
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. sharp — with an edge

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