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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chest — a box
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. court — for sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. court — of a king

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