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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a committee
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — to get on
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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