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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. board — to get on
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lean — thin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lean — to bend
  17. march — music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. board — a committee
  20. march — the month
  21. rest — a break
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — to drill
  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