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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. spell — magic
  14. shower — rain
  15. object — to protest
  16. board — to get on
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — a grade
  19. object — an aim
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mark — a trace
  24. object — a thing

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