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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kid — child
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — to tease
  15. vault — a safe
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. present — there
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — to get on
  24. present — the time now

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