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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — a committee
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kick — in football
  16. board — to get on
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. season — in sport

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