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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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. date — the fruit
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cell — in biology
  6. board — to get on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. drill — a practice
  16. craft — boats
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — a committee
  19. staff — a stick
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. staff — employees
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. trunk — of a car

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