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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: drill · straw · scale · mate · calf · row · board · bass

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a line
  4. mate — a partner
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — to get on
  12. drill — a practice
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mate — a friend
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bass — low music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bass — the fish
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mate — to breed
  24. straw — dry grass

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