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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 124 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. board — to get on
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. board — a committee
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kid — child
  24. temple — a place of worship

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