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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. season — in sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. key — for a lock
  10. board — a committee
  11. mine — for digging
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. board — to get on
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kick — in football
  18. craft — a skill
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. season — of the year
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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