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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ball — a dance
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cap — a hat
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. content — happy
  12. board — to get on
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — of ice
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wax — to grow
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. content — the amount
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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