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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. track — a song
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — to keep track
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. board — to get on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a word
  22. track — a path
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. root — the cause

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