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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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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: trunk · stick · bore · board · jam · band · straw · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. board — to get on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. band — a music group
  15. bore — to tire
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kick — with a leg

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