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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 124 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. hand — in cards
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — all right
  6. mate — a friend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. board — a committee
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hand — help
  12. date — the fruit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mate — to breed
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mate — a partner
  24. board — to get on

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