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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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. kid — to tease
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wax — to grow
  11. can — to be able to
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. sharp — clever
  19. kid — child
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — a committee

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