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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pass — a permit
  4. board — a committee
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. present — a gift
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. board — to get on
  15. present — there
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. present — the time now
  18. land — a country
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. land — ground
  21. fork — in a road
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pass — to succeed

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