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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — to get on
  8. hand — help
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — a committee
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rest — a break
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rest — what's left

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