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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 116 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: board · bay · calf · lie · swing · straw · present · rash

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. swing — in golf
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. swing — music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rash — a series
  22. board — a committee
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. swing — to play on

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