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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to click
  17. cell — a phone
  18. board — a committee
  19. cell — in biology
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wax — to grow
  24. calf — a young animal

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