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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 124 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. season — in sport
  15. track — a path
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — of the year
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rock — a stone
  23. track — a song
  24. board — to get on

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