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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. roll — a list
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lean — to bend
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lean — thin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — to breed
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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