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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
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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: board · chair · trunk · land · lash · foot · wound · mug

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mug — a face
  5. foot — a measure
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chair — a leader
  12. land — ground
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. board — to get on
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a committee
  21. mug — a cup
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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