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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — a lid
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — of ice
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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