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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 120 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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lean — to bend
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rash — a series
  13. lean — thin
  14. board — to get on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. board — a committee
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. clip — to cut
  22. squash — to crush
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. squash — the sport

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