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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. tear — to rip
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. board — to get on
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — after costs
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bank — for money
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. net — for catching
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mine — belonging to me

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