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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. board — to get on
  3. hand — help
  4. last — to go on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. board — a committee
  8. squash — the sport
  9. last — finally
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. charge — in control
  23. last — final
  24. trunk — 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