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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: bowl · board · chip · calf · bat · band · fan · lean

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. chip — for betting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. band — a ring
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bat — the animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. lean — to rest against

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