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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 124 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. season — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — a division
  16. board — a committee
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mate — a friend
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. object — a thing

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