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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spring — the season
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. roll — a list
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cap — a hat
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — to get on
  22. spring — of water
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. roll — a cake

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