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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. drill — a practice
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. file — a line of people
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. file — a document
  20. board — a committee
  21. file — a tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. plane — a tool

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