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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 120 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: mouse · bat · fan · calf · board · hand · fall · coach

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — a committee
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. board — to get on
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — the season
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hand — part of the body

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