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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.

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: clip · board · patient · hide · calf · cue · squash · rock

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. board — to get on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rock — music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rock — a stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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