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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — in cards
  7. season — in sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — of the year
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. board — to get on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. hand — help
  24. foot — a measure

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