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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. hand — help
  3. board — to get on
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cap — a hat
  11. present — there
  12. hand — in cards
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. present — the time now
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. game — a match
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. board — a committee
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to click

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