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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: chest · board · ball · fall · season · rock · rest · calf

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — a committee
  5. fall — the season
  6. season — in sport
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rest — a break
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — a stone
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rock — music
  13. chest — a box
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. season — of the year
  16. ball — a great time
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rest — what's left

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