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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. last — finally
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. root — of a plant
  5. board — to get on
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. last — final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. last — to go on
  21. board — a committee
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. chair — a leader

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