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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ground — the earth
  6. game — a match
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ground — a position
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — a division
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. board — a committee

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