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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 · pop · calf · mark · board · roll · bay · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pop — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lean — to bend
  8. roll — a list
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pop — soda
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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