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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: board · foot · trunk · spell · sharp · lean · club · bulb

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — a group
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. lean — thin
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. spell — letters
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spell — a short time
  17. club — for golf
  18. board — to get on
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. board — a committee
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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