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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. last — finally
  7. rock — a stone
  8. last — final
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. scale — in music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bore — to tire
  17. last — to go on
  18. mark — a grade
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rock — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bore — to drill

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