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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: bear · kid · mate · stand · roll · board · trunk · staff

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stand — to bear
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. staff — a stick
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — a list
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — child
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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