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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. race — the arms race
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. board — a committee
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. race — a contest
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. race — humankind
  20. charge — electricity
  21. board — to get on
  22. march — music
  23. last — finally
  24. cabinet — ministers

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