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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: chair · track · mate · calf · stick · board · stem · last

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mate — a partner
  4. last — finally
  5. track — a song
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. last — to go on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — to get on
  12. mate — to breed
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mate — a friend
  21. last — final
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. track — to keep track
  24. calf — a young animal

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