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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — a committee
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — to get on
  19. staff — employees
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spring — of water
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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