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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hand — in cards
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fine — all right
  8. stand — to bear
  9. drill — a practice
  10. spring — a coil
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — a committee
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spring — of water
  18. craft — boats
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. spring — the season
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — help
  24. stand — on your feet

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