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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. last — finally
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. foot — a measure
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. last — to go on
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mouse — for a computer

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