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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — hasty
  9. last — finally
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — a committee
  13. last — final
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — a series
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fine — all right
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — to go on

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