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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: branch · wound · calf · season · pit · can · drill · board

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. season — of the year
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — in a race
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — to be able to
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. drill — army training
  23. season — in sport
  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