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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — to come down
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. board — a committee
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. land — a country
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — a break
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rest — what's left

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