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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — a song
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. row — to paddle
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kid — to tease
  10. row — a line
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. board — to get on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. kid — child
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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