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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. present — there
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — a gift
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. board — a committee
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. board — to get on
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cell — in biology

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