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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — a trail
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — to get on
  9. clip — a video
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — to trim
  14. clip — for paper
  15. can — a tin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — a committee
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — with your hand

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