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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. land — ground
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. land — a country
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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