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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mate — to breed
  9. board — to get on
  10. mate — a partner
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. mate — a friend
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. branch — a division
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. straw — dry grass

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