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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. swing — music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. board — to get on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. board — a committee
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bark — to shout

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