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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. net — in sport
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. track — a song
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. net — after costs
  17. chest — a box
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — a grade

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