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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a path
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fork — in a road
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. toast — bread
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. snap — to click
  24. track — a song

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