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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — to get on
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — in sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bowl — a football final

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