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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — to get on
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — a committee
  13. cue — a hint
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. drill — the tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. drill — a practice
  18. snap — to click
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — a young animal

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