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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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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: bat · rush · calf · rash · board · pitcher · stem · leaves

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rash — hasty

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