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

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wound — an injury
  8. season — of the year
  9. board — a committee
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. board — to get on
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. season — in sport
  22. sharp — clever
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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