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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 124 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lean — thin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rash — a series
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bore — to tire
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — a list
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. board — to get on
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. lean — to bend
  23. roll — a cake
  24. trunk — of a tree

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