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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. content — happy
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. board — a committee
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — the amount
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lean — thin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chair — a leader

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