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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pop — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. board — to get on
  7. track — to keep track
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pop — to visit
  12. squash — the sport
  13. track — a path
  14. prune — to trim
  15. board — a committee
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — soda
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — a song
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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