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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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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: board · leaves · perch · hand · arm · trunk · squash · bulb

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — help
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — for light
  12. perch — the fish
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. squash — the sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. squash — to crush
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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