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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: court · lean · bear · jam · can · board · cell · trunk

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. court — for sport
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. board — a committee
  10. can — a tin
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. court — of law
  16. board — to get on
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. court — of a king
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. trunk — of a car

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