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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · snap · cell · pit · arm · board · fine · bark

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — a hole
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. bark — to shout
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. board — a committee
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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