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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — bread
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. object — to protest
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. object — an aim
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — to get on
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fan — a supporter

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