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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. board — to get on
  10. field — farmland
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. drill — a practice
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. foot — a measure
  16. field — a subject
  17. board — a committee
  18. drill — army training
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. field — for sport
  21. drill — the tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. arm — part of the body

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