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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — a committee
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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