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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. board — to get on
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wind — moving air
  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