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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: mate · stem · game · board · face · jam · calf · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. board — to get on
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mate — a partner
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. face — part of the head
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mate — a friend
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. face — to confront
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — a container
  15. game — wild animals
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stem — to come from
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a match
  21. board — a committee
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mate — to breed
  24. jam — a tight spot

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