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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — to get on
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — a stone
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. spell — a short time
  8. craft — a skill
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. craft — boats
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. board — a committee
  13. spell — letters
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rule — government
  19. rock — music
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. sharp — clever
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. trunk — of a tree

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