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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — a series
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fork — to eat with

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