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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. spring — a coil
  7. net — in sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. net — for catching
  11. lean — to bend
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — thin
  18. spring — of water
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spring — the season
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bear — the animal
  24. board — a committee

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