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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. land — a country
  9. vault — a safe
  10. board — to get on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. board — a committee
  13. bore — to tire
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fork — in a road
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bore — to drill
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. leaves — lets stay

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