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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — a committee
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. branch — a division
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. squash — to crush
  20. root — of a word
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. board — to get on
  23. bat — the animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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