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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · board · chair · trunk · cell · mate

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. chair — a leader
  4. board — a committee
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cell — in biology
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — to get on
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. staff — a stick
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend

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