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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fork — in a road
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. board — a committee
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. game — a match
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — to get on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ball — a dance
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — an eyelash

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