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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. clip — a video
  3. object — to protest
  4. tear — to rip
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. file — a tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. board — a committee
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. clip — for paper
  15. tear — from crying
  16. object — an aim
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. object — a thing
  23. tear — from crying
  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