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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: season · calf · kick · bore · fork · bass · wind · board

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bass — low music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. season — of the year
  8. bore — to tire
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bass — the fish
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kick — in football
  23. board — a committee
  24. kick — with a leg

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