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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. clip — a video
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — a committee
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rock — music
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — employees

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