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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stem — to come from
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. swing — music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — a committee
  12. swing — to play on
  13. board — to get on
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. swing — in golf
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — to keep secret

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