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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. kick — in football
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hand — in cards
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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