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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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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: present · bark · lean · pitcher · board · clip · rush · calf

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bark — to shout
  4. clip — for paper
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. board — to get on
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — thin
  11. clip — to cut
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. clip — a video
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — a gift

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