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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. object — to protest
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — a country
  10. squash — the sport
  11. land — to come down
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. land — ground
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cold — an illness
  18. board — to get on
  19. object — an aim
  20. suit — to fit
  21. board — a committee
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. object — a thing
  24. squash — to crush

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