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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. craft — boats
  6. shower — rain
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chip — to eat
  9. board — to get on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. degree — temperature
  15. chip — for betting
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rock — a stone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rock — music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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