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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — a committee
  11. bound — tied together
  12. row — to paddle
  13. board — to get on
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. row — a line
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. wind — moving air

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