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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. board — to get on
  3. wind — moving air
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. court — for sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. board — a committee
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. court — of law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. court — of a king
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. plane — an aircraft

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