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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. board — a committee
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — to tease
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mug — a face
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mug — to rob
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kid — child
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. board — to get on
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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