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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · leaves · pass · clip · calf · mate · craft · track

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mate — a partner
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mate — a friend
  12. track — a path
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. clip — a video
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. clip — for paper
  20. board — to get on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. craft — boats
  24. mate — to breed

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