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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. board — to get on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. board — a committee
  15. game — a match
  16. object — to protest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wax — to grow
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. calf — a young animal

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