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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. tear — to rip
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — from crying
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spring — of water
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pound — to hit hard

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