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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kid — to tease
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — bread
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. game — a match
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bear — the animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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