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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wax — to grow
  10. board — to get on
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rash — hasty
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rash — a series
  24. leaves — of a tree

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