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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. board — a committee
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. track — a path
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fine — high quality
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. track — to keep track
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. board — to get on
  20. fine — all right
  21. clip — a video
  22. kid — child
  23. track — a song
  24. prune — to trim

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