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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: wave · board · fan · deal · lie · calf · root · file

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. root — the cause
  12. board — a committee
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. deal — to handle
  15. root — of a word
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a document
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. wave — with your hand

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