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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. suit — in cards
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rash — a series
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. suit — clothes
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cold — the Cold War

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