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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · straw · bear · bass · game · calf · kid · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — wild animals
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. game — a match
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — a committee
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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