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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. degree — an amount
  4. season — in sport
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mug — a face
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. vault — a safe
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. board — to get on
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — clever
  21. season — of the year
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pass — a permit

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