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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. vault — a safe
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — low music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. board — to get on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. can — to be able to
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. board — a committee
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to click
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bat — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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