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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: cell · bat · calf · hand · can · pass · board · row

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. board — to get on
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — in biology
  16. row — a line
  17. can — to be able to
  18. board — a committee
  19. hand — help
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. can — a tin

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