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

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. net — for catching
  3. row — a line
  4. net — after costs
  5. row — to paddle
  6. drill — the tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. board — to get on
  18. land — a country
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. drill — a practice
  21. land — to come down
  22. net — in sport
  23. drill — army training
  24. land — ground

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