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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. board — to get on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rule — a law
  6. land — a country
  7. swing — to play on
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. land — to come down
  11. rule — government
  12. board — a committee
  13. land — ground
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. swing — music
  16. mug — a face
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — in golf
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rule — to rule out
  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