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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 120 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
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: squash · row · file · sharp · board · trunk · racket · swing

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. row — to paddle
  3. board — to get on
  4. swing — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — to play on
  7. row — a line
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a committee
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. file — a document
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. swing — in golf
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. board — a flat piece

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