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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. board — to get on
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lean — thin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. board — a committee
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spring — the season
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — size or range

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