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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fork · content · fall · board · ball · trunk · wake

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fall — to drop
  3. content — happy
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ball — a great time
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. wake — a trail
  24. content — the amount

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