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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. rest — what's left
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. board — a committee
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rest — a break
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — in music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. present — a gift
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. board — to get on
  21. present — there
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — the most important part
  24. trunk — of a car

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