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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — a committee
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. fine — high quality
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cap — a lid

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