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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · degree · board · calf · face · spring · branch · rest

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. face — part of the head
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. board — to get on
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — what's left
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — the season
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rest — a break
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spring — a coil

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