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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — a match
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — electricity
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. board — a committee
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. charge — a price

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