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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kick — in football
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. game — a match
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. board — to get on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. staff — employees
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. wound — an injury

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