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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: wound · staff · calf · bat · can · board · kick · file

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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 — to get on
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kick — in football
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. staff — employees
  19. bat — the animal
  20. file — a tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. file — a document
  23. calf — of the leg
  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