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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. branch — a division
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. board — a committee
  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