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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. 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. pitcher — a jug
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — a short time
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. bark — to shout
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. spell — letters
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — the season
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. 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