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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stem — to come from
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a music group
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. board — a committee
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. band — a ring
  24. arm — a part of something

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