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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: row · fan · chair · calf · wound · ball · sharp · bound

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. row — to paddle
  5. chair — a leader
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. row — a line
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bound — certain
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bound — obliged
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ball — a great time
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wound — an injury
  24. calf — a young animal

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