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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: land · craft · staff · lean · board · file · calf · bound

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. staff — employees
  3. file — a line of people
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. craft — a skill
  11. file — a tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. board — to get on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. file — a document
  16. land — ground
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — obliged
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — a stick

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