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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. board — a committee
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. object — to protest
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fall — the season
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. board — to get on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. lean — thin
  18. bat — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  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