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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mate — a friend
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mate — a partner
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mate — to breed
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — a price
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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