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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. squash — the sport
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. board — a committee
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. squash — to crush
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fork — in a road
  22. board — to get on
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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