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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. board — to get on
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ball — a dance
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kick — in football
  22. hand — help
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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