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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 · chair · cell · sharp · leaves · calf · lash · cabinet

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. sharp — clever
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — a leader
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. board — a committee
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. calf — a young animal
  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