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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. branch — a division
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. board — a committee
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chest — a box
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. kick — in football
  19. ground — crushed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. toast — bread

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