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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. toast — bread
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. kid — child
  19. bark — to shout
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kid — to tease

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