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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: board · roll · lean · fine · calf · racket · wound · nail

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. board — a committee
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lean — thin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fine — high quality
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — to get on

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