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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mug — to rob
  6. board — a committee
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kick — in football
  15. chest — a box
  16. mug — a face
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — a young animal

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