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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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. plane — a tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. root — the cause
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. root — of a word
  24. saw — the tool

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