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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. date — the fruit
  3. net — for catching
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — in sport
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. board — a committee
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — after costs
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cabinet — ministers

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