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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. board — a committee
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pop — to visit
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitch — completely
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. row — a line
  24. pop — music

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