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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — clothes
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. suit — in cards
  7. band — a ring
  8. suit — to fit
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a music group
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. net — after costs
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — to get on
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — on a finger

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