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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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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: calf · hand · band · bank · board · lean

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bank — for money
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — to get on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lean — thin
  11. bank — for money
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. band — a music group
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lean — to bend
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. band — a rubber band

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