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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: calf · fan · stock · cap · rash · row · board · fall

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fall — the season
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rash — a series
  12. stock — shares
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — hasty
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — to cool the air

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