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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. firm — decided
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. clip — a video
  18. firm — steady
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. rule — a law
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — government

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