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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: leaves · plane · trunk · rash · present · board · hand · wound

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rash — hasty
  3. present — the time now
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rash — a series
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wound — an injury
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — to get on
  16. hand — in cards
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hand — help
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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