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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chip — to eat
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — a committee
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mug — a face
  16. chip — for betting
  17. last — final
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. board — to get on

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