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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. face — to point toward
  3. board — a committee
  4. lean — to bend
  5. board — to get on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. craft — boats
  9. face — part of the head
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. drill — army training
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mark — a grade
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stock — shares
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — goods
  21. face — to confront
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. drill — the tool

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