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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wake — a trail
  4. scale — in music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stem — to come from
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. saw — the tool

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