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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: cell · calf · board · saw · fan · last · racket · fall

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — the season
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fall — to drop
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. last — final
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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