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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wax — to grow
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ball — a dance
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ball — a great time

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