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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — the time now
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. land — to come down
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. toast — bread
  15. land — ground
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fall — the season
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. present — a gift
  22. land — a country
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. present — there

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