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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kid — child
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. race — humankind
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. branch — a division
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a committee
  18. race — a contest
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pass — a permit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — to tease

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