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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. board — to get on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. board — a committee
  10. hand — in cards
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wound — an injury
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. hand — help
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. foot — the bottom

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