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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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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: rash · pass · board · clip · branch · calf · band · can

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. pass — a permit
  7. branch — a division
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. clip — a video
  15. rash — hasty
  16. band — a music group
  17. clip — for paper
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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