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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. board — a committee
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rash — a series
  5. board — to get on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — for money
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — in biology
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a ring
  17. bank — of a river
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bank — for money
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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