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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bound — obliged
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. board — to get on
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bound — certain
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rash — a series
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — a committee
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kid — child
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. calf — of the leg

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