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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — to get on
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wound — an injury
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. board — a committee
  24. leaves — lets stay

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