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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. board — a committee
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — a price
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spring — of water
  9. staff — employees
  10. charge — in control
  11. spring — the season
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wind — moving air
  15. charge — electricity
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wind — moving air
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. board — to get on

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