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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. tube — a container
  2. sharp — clever
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. key — the most important part
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bark — to shout
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. board — a committee
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. key — in music
  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