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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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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: leaves · board · face · trunk · file · sharp · court · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. court — of law
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. court — for sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — a committee
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — part of the head
  23. court — of a king
  24. file — a document

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