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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. craft — a skill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — goods
  7. land — ground
  8. board — a committee
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. land — a country
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stock — shares
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — boats
  22. land — to come down
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. coach — a trainer

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