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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mate — to breed
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. board — to get on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a great time
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. band — a music group
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. board — a committee
  17. band — a ring
  18. mate — a friend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. staff — a stick

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