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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
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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: calf · staff · mine · band · board · present · wave · drill

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. staff — a stick
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. staff — employees
  11. drill — the tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. drill — a practice
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. drill — army training
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. board — to get on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — employees

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