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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bank — for money
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. board — to get on
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bank — of a river
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cue — for pool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — to crush
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stem — a stem cell

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