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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cap — a lid
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. file — a tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — a committee
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. craft — a skill
  14. file — a document
  15. wax — to grow
  16. file — a line of people
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. craft — boats
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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