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

Word bank: board · bore · trunk · track · staff · hand · lean · sharp

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — employees
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. staff — employees
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. track — a song
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. staff — a stick
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. hand — help
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. board — to get on

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