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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: fine · chest · calf · clip · board · leaves · firm · racket

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fine — all right
  7. clip — to cut
  8. board — a committee
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. clip — a video
  13. firm — a company
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. firm — steady
  21. board — to get on
  22. firm — decided
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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