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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. firm — a company
  4. board — a committee
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cold — not warm
  8. kick — in football
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pit — in a race
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. firm — steady
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. firm — decided
  23. rash — a series
  24. rock — music

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