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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lean — thin
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. present — the time now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — a skill
  13. board — to get on
  14. present — a gift
  15. toast — bread
  16. lean — to bend
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. craft — boats
  20. row — to paddle
  21. board — a committee
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. row — a line

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