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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 116 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: calf · net · trunk · clip · fall · spell · charge · board

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. clip — to cut
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spell — a short time
  8. board — to get on
  9. net — after costs
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — magic
  12. net — for catching
  13. charge — a price
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. clip — for paper
  17. spell — letters
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. clip — a video
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. fall — the season

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