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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — an aim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mug — a face
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mug — a cup
  19. object — a thing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. object — to protest

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