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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. roll — a cake
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chair — a leader
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. fork — in a road
  16. scale — size or range
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — a list
  19. board — to get on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chest — of your body
  24. roll — on a roll

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