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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. charge — in control
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. board — a committee
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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