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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. board — a committee
  5. file — a tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. court — for sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. file — a line of people
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. court — of law
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. file — a document
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. firm — decided
  19. bass — low music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. court — of a king
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the fish

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