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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kid — child
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — a committee
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — a position
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mark — a grade

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