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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: bowl · board · nail · track · object · cold · trunk · arm

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cold — an illness
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. board — a committee
  8. track — a song
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. object — an aim
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cold — not warm
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. cold — the Cold War

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